Aspen Institute and Pivotal Announce Nationwide Grant Competition to Drive New Wave of Workplace Innovation

$60 Million Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge aims to discover and scale bold ideas to remove barriers that women face – and by doing so, strengthen the workplace for all.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Aspen Institute launched the Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge, a new initiative to discover and scale bold ideas to help women thrive and everyone win in a rapidly changing workplace. The bedrock of the WIN Challenge is a $60 million grant competition, supported by Pivotal. The foundational vision, backed by research, is that when workplaces are designed with the needs of women in mind, they're better places for everyone to work—and the benefits will be felt across communities and the economy at large.

Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce. The WIN Challenge is an opportunity to source and scale innovative solutions to address barriers like caregiving responsibilities and biases that tend to disproportionately impact women and are harmful for everyone. This is especially true at a time when innovative technologies, such as AI, are accelerating the pace of change within workplaces.

"Women—especially mothers of young children—are leaving the workforce at an alarming rate, driven out by inflexible policies, rising childcare costs, bias, and harassment," said Melinda French Gates, founder of Pivotal. "Now is the time to invest in better workplaces: ones that support balance, ensure safety for all workers, and recognize women as essential leaders. When we remove barriers for women, we unlock potential across the entire economy."

"As the workplace goes through profound shifts, driven by rapidly emerging new technologies, it is critical that we make sure that everyone has the opportunity to realize their full potential," said Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. "The WIN Challenge reflects the Aspen Institute's deep commitment to strengthening economic opportunity and trust across society by investing in workplace innovations that serve the needs of all. We are grateful to Melinda French Gates and Pivotal for their leadership in this vital effort."

"We know that when women thrive at work, our families and communities benefit as well," said Clare Bresnahan English, Senior Director of the WIN Challenge at Aspen Digital. "This is an open call for new solutions because we know we don't have all the answers. We need bold innovation. The WIN Challenge is an opportunity to create lasting transformation and foster curiosity so we can reimagine what's possible to build a better future for all."

Over the next year, Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute, will lead the WIN Challenge grant competition focused on three key pillars: Culture & Practices, AI, and Narrative. It will look for scalable solutions to improve workplace culture and practices, leverage AI to build a workplace that supports everyone, and reshape narratives and norms. Each of the pillars has $20 million to award up to eight innovative awardees, who will receive grants of either $2.5 million or $5 million each. Successful applicants will offer a novel or breakthrough solution with high-impact potential.

To participate in one or more of the challenge pillars, eligible participants must first register online by Thursday, December 11, 2025. Final submission deadlines for each pillar vary, and can be found online at winchallenge.org. The WIN Challenge is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, coalitions of organizations, and others eligible to receive grant funds located within the United States and U.S. territories.

Aspen Digital will announce awardees in the fall of 2026, and will host a summit to lift up the solutions and changemakers identified through the WIN Challenge. Top proposals will be featured in a searchable database shared widely across industries, the philanthropic community, and decision-makers committed to reshaping workplaces so that everyone can thrive.

Visit winchallenge.org for more information.

Aspen Digital

A program of the Aspen Institute, Aspen Digital brings together thinkers and doers from the U.S. and around the world to uncover new ideas and spark actions that empower communities and strengthen democracy. Aspen Digital will leverage its expertise in emerging technology and narrative change to unlock new opportunities and partner with the Institute's Economic Opportunities Program, drawing on its long experience helping people thrive in a changing economy.

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society's greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners.

Pivotal

Founded by Melinda French Gates in 2015, Pivotal is a group of organizations that work to accelerate the pace of social progress and expand women's power and influence in the U.S. and around the world. Through high-impact investments, philanthropy, partnerships, and advocacy, Pivotal seeks to remove the barriers that hold women—and all people—back. Pivotal includes Pivotal Ventures, LLC and Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, a 501(c)(3) private foundation launched in 2022.

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SOURCE Aspen Institute